Holding Space with Claire Bidwell Smith & Amy Pickard
This is a unique time in our world for people who are experiencing grief and loss on many different levels. As a therapist who has specialized in grief and anxiety for over a decade, I hope to use the knowledge and tools I have amassed to help others who are struggling. These weekly discussions are open to anyone who wants to join, and each week I'll be bringing on a special guest to help explore our collective grief and anxiety. We will offer coping tools and techniques and take live questions from participants. If you can't make it to the call you will receive a recording.
Claire Bidwell Smith is an internationally renowned author, speaker, and grief expert. She is the author of three books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance, After This: When Life Is Over Where Do We Go? and Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief. Her books have been published in 18 countries and Claire lectures and writes regularly about grief.
Amy Pickard lives in Los Angeles, where she is powered by the sun and rock and roll. She grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and at the age of 16, she might have been the youngest VJ to ever introduce a video, which she did while working on a local cable access music video show. As the Martha Quinn of Dayton, she was able to interview and hang out with all of her favorite bands.In 2012, Amy's mom died suddenly and unexpectedly. While grieving her mother's death and sorting through her mother's paperwork in an effort to wrap up her financial affairs, Amy went through what she describes as a "tectonic, spiritual transformation." She discovered her cosmic calling: to create an unconventional advance planning company that would help everyone put their affairs in order and document their end-of-life wishes in order to prevent the pain and red tape from ‘the death duties’. Thus Amy's business, Good To Go!, was born. She joked that she went from “VIP to RIP” in her career.
But Good to Go! is not your typical advance planning process. Amy's mission is to change the cultural narrative on how we view death preparedness, dying and the aftermath with a sense of humor, cocktails and a rock and roll death-themed soundtrack, she guides people through their end of life paperwork. Before the pandemic, she facilitated G2G! parties in person. In 2020, they are done by video conferencing.
In 2014, she drove across the U.S. on her own, giving Good To Go! pop-up parties with people of all ages and all walks of life in cities all over the country. All the participants in these parties received Amy's unique workbook “The Departure File” where they can document important overlooked information for their loved ones and make their passing easier on those still living.
In 2016, Amy's dad died unexpectedly, and she was once again launched into the grief of losing a parent. This time, however, thanks to Good To Go!, Amy had clear direction on how her dad wanted his life celebrated, and she was spared countless hours of confusion and difficulty in how to wrap up his affairs. Amy’s dad had prepared for his death by attending one of her parties last year and completing his Departure File. Amy did not have to make one single gut-wrenching decision regarding her father's care in the hospital or after his death due to her Dad's thoughtful completion of the Good To Go! paperwork.
